Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Movies every woman should see

When I was in college, going to the movies was one of my favorite hobbies. Maybe because I always had a roommate or girlfriend to go with or maybe because every Wednesday night was $1 movie night for students, I'll let you be the judge. Either way, I saw a lot of movies. Movies that made me laugh, movies that made me cry, and movies that gave me a headache after wearing the 3D glasses.

I mentioned yesterday that I went to a movie alone yesterday, and to some that may be an odd thing to do, but I really do love going to the movies and unfortunately Derek does not so I don't have a problem going by myself. Especially if it's to a movie I know he won't enjoy. I'm not a fan of cruel and unusual punishment and I think forcing people to watch movies/TV shows they hate qualifies as such. Back to my point: while I was in the movie (August: Osage County) I found myself thinking, this is a movie every woman should see. Which led to the thought that there are actually several movies every woman should watch at some point in her life.

Thelma and Louise

Favorite quote: Hey, throw in a couple bottles of Wild Turkey while you're at it.

Maybe I just love this movie so much because of the name similarities, but I really think I would still love it if either one of us had a different name. Although I will admit, it was the only reason I watched it for the first time at my aunt's house when I was about 8 years old. This movie is the ultimate best friend's movie, with one literally killing to protect the other. I'm not saying you've got to kill someone or drive off a cliff to prove you're someone's best friend, but then again maybe I am.

Mean Girls

Favorite quote: Is butter a carb?

This movie is the perfect inscription of high school. If you haven't seen it, then I would recommend it, even if only for the seating chart. Even if you aren't in to burn books or wearing pink on Wednesdays, you'll at least be able to understand the many, many references all of your friends are making.

Steel Magnolias

Favorite Quote: A dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste!

Probably my favorite Julia Roberts movie, though it unfortunately showcases her worst hairstyle. This is a movie my mom raved and raved about but isn't one that I watched until I was 18 or so and I wish I would have gotten around to it earlier. Sally Fields gives probably one of her best performances after she loses her daughter to Diabetes and the supporting characters couldn't be a better pillar of strength and comic relief at the same time. Seriously, if you haven't seen this movie yet, stop what your doing and find it in the nearest movie rental store or Amazon and watch it.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Favorite Quote: Oh it don' make no kind of sense. Big ol' ox like Grady won't sit next to a colored child. But he eats eggs - shoot right outta chicken's ass!

Remember when I said that being a best friend doesn't mean you have to kill for them. Well this movie proves just that as it follows four women, two in the present day, reliving the lives of two women fifty years prior. This movie touches a bit on being gay when it wasn't acceptable to be gay, but of course I didn't realize it until I was much older. This has always been, and will continue to be, one of my most favorite movies of all time.

The Help

Favorite quote: There are two things I can't seem to forget: that my own daughter threw me in to a nursing home, and that she ate Minny's shit!

If you haven't been living underground for the last three or four years, you'll know that this was originally a book (I raved about it here) which turned into a movie. The movie is no exception, with a wonderful cast to portray wonderfully written characters. You will laugh, and you will cry, but most of all you will take away that if you have a dream, and if you work hard enough, you can achieve it.

I want to see August: Osage County soooo bad! I haven't seen Thelma and Louise or Fried Green Tomatoes, but I will definitely add those to my list. I LOVE Steel Magnolias. I cry every single time I watch it, without fail.